Jane Eyre, one of the most significant novels of the Victorian Era, provides reflections on the period and its society. This paper examines the changes and developments of Victorian England. It further deals with the literary situation and places Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre in its historical context. After a short summary, there follows an examination of the issues Jane Eyre revolts against. Her criticism against the then accepted gender roles and her liberal idea of womanhood indicate a strong female emancipation.
Through an interpretation of certain passages, Jane’s demand for equality of gender becomes evident. Jane Eyre also reflects on Victorian morality and people’s idea of religion. The most important Christian conventions are presented illustrated by characters matching those different interpretations of Christianity. The then often valid severity in faith is against Jane’s idea of a good and loving God.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 The Victorian Era
2.1 Period overview
3 Victorian Literature
3.1 Victorian readership
3.2 The Victorian novel
4 Jane Eyre
4.1 Publication
4.2 Plot
5 Gender
5.1 Gender in the Victorian Era
5.1.1 Legal situation
5.1.2 Tasks
5.1.3 Governesses
5.2 Progressive Jane
5.2.1 Jane as a governess
5.3 Feminist Jane
5.3.1 Equality
5.3.2 Marriage to Mr Rochester: Independence
5.3.3 Lowood School: Oppression against women
5.3.4 Red room scene: Submission and stillness
6 Religion
6.1 Influence of Christianity
6.2 The Brontës’ faith
6.3 Mr. Brocklehurst
6.4 Helen Burns
6.5 Mr Rochester
6.6 St. John Rivers
6.7 Masculine and feminine images of God
7 Conclusion
Objectives and Core Topics
This paper examines social developments and values in Victorian England through the lens of Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre, focusing on how gender roles and religious interpretations shaped the society of the period and influenced the protagonist's quest for autonomy.
- Historical context of the Victorian Era and its major societal shifts.
- Analysis of gender inequality and the limited roles for Victorian women.
- Literary exploration of the governess position and its social contradictions.
- Examination of religious influence, from Calvinist severity to liberal compassion.
- The portrayal of feminine independence and revolt against societal norms.
Excerpt from the Book
5.1.3 Governesses
Middle-class women living in the Victorian period, either remained at home and cared for their husbands and children or were in employment. If they were married, they often took up the positions of servants, if they were unmarried, they were left with two options: either writing or working as governesses. Both these options were still looked upon with contempt by many fellow Victorians. The Brontë sisters, of course, present a most fitting example. They all dedicated their lives to producing literature, but also had experience of being governesses. As Cornelia Peters states, “an 1851 census lists 25,000 governesses in the United Kingdom, as opposed to 750,000 female domestic servants.”
The social status of a governess was often quite contradictory. Many conflicts arose out of a difficulty to properly place a governess inside a home. While a governess was a woman of the same or sometimes even higher social class than the family she worked for, she nevertheless occupied the position of a domestic servant. This resulted in a common mistreatment of governesses by the masters and mistresses she worked for. Their pupils following suit, they often disrespected their governesses. This becomes evident in chapter 17, when Blanche Ingram openly ridicules her own governess’s performance by saying: I have just one word to say of the whole tribe; they are a nuisance. Not that I ever suffered much from them; I took care to turn the tables. What tricks Theodore and I used to play on our Miss Wilsons, and Mrs. Greys, and Madame Jouberts! […] The best fun was with Madame Joubert: […] I see her yet in her raging passions, when we had driven her to extremities — spilt our tea, crumbled our bread and butter, tossed our books up to the ceiling, and played a charivari with the ruler and desk, the fender and fire-irons. Theodore, do you remember those merry days?
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the societal context of Victorian England and outlines the paper's focus on the themes of gender and religion within Jane Eyre.
2 The Victorian Era: This section provides an overview of the political, economic, and social reforms that characterized Queen Victoria’s reign.
3 Victorian Literature: This chapter discusses the rise of the Victorian novel and the changing reading habits of the expanding middle class.
4 Jane Eyre: This chapter covers the publication history of the novel and defines it as a bildungsroman centered on the protagonist’s struggle for autonomy.
5 Gender: This section analyzes the constraints placed on women in Victorian society, including the legal situation, the role of the governess, and Jane’s feminist development.
6 Religion: This chapter examines the influence of Christianity, specifically contrasting the judgmental, Calvinist-influenced characters with the liberal, compassionate faith embodied by other figures.
7 Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the findings, highlighting how Jane Eyre’s revolt against societal norms serves as a reflection of the tensions of the Victorian age.
Keywords
Victorian Era, Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë, Gender roles, Feminism, Governess, Religion, Christianity, Evangelicalism, Social class, Bildungsroman, Victorian morality, Industrial Revolution, Autonomy, Women's rights.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper explores social developments and moral values in Victorian England by analyzing Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre as a reflection of its time.
What are the two central thematic fields of the work?
The work primarily addresses the status and emancipation of women (Gender) and the role of religious institutions and faith (Religion).
What is the research objective?
The objective is to examine how gender roles and religious practices constrained Victorian society and how the protagonist, Jane Eyre, revolts against these conditions.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author uses the methodology of literary interpretation to analyze the novel's text in relation to historical and social data from the 19th century.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers the historical context of the Victorian period, the socio-economic status of women, the specific plight of the governess, and the various interpretations of Christianity represented by characters like Mr. Brocklehurst, Helen Burns, and St. John Rivers.
Which keywords define this paper?
Key terms include Victorian Era, Feminism, Governess, Gender roles, Christianity, Social class, Bildungsroman, and Autonomy.
How does the author characterize the role of the governess?
The governess is described as a contradictory social figure who held a higher intellectual background than her employers but was treated with the contempt and low status of a domestic servant.
What is the significance of the "red room" scene in the novel?
The scene acts as a metaphor for the suppression and forced stillness that Victorian women were expected to endure under a patriarchal social structure.
How does the author interpret the religious evolution in the novel?
The author argues that while many male religious figures in the book represent a suppressive, judgmental Calvinist tradition, the protagonist finds solace in a more liberal, compassionate interpretation of God.
- Citation du texte
- Alexandra Kurcikova (Auteur), 2019, Reflections on social development and values in Victorian England as depicted in Jane Eyre, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/469097
